Memory
by Zeiskyte
Summary: Rhaast hates when Kayn wastes precious slaughtering time on meditating. / A symbiotic relationship on a special day.


Rhaast narrowed his eye, watching Kayn with the feeling that something was off. The human was meditating, eyes closed and legs crossed, but he still seemed tense. As much as the Darkin hated to admit it, Kayn had perfect meditation technique and could completely separate himself from the physical world. Now, however, the boy was fidgety - as if something was bothering him.

Despite feeling the slightest bit of concern over the ninja, Rhaast distanced himself by speaking in a tone of indifference. **"You're tense. I thought nothing could bother the great Kayn?"**

Kayn frowned but kept his eyes closed, clearly unhappy with Rhaast's interruption. "Mind your own goddamn business, would you."

Rhaast let out a rumbling laugh. **"Oh, did I strike a nerve?"** He knew he was being a little shit, but getting under Kayn's skin was his only form of entertainment besides killing. With the boy meditating - or at least attempting to - he was more irritable to Rhaast's prodding.

Kayn took in a deep breath before exhaling, clearly trying to calm himself down after his scythe's attempt to incite a conversation. Well, not a conversation. Every "conversation" consisted of Rhaast trying to rile up Kayn and cause him to let his guard down. He was trying to meditate and refocus his energy, he didn't need some gardening tool undermining him.

**"Ignoring me, huh."** Rhaast jabbed, and as he expected, there was no response. He had the distant realization that Kayn was truly his only connection to the world, and that with the boy wasting his time sitting in silence, Rhaast was just an immobile scythe. Of course, a few hours was nothing compared to the millennia that he was trapped. Despite that, Rhaast would still prefer to not waste hours that he could spend killing.

Reaching through their bond, Rhaast pushed into Kayn's mind and began to sift through the boy's thoughts. There was a memory, fickle and rough at the edges, that presented itself to him - small hands wielding a weapon too big, fear for his life burning in his gut, tears prickling in his eyes, legs trembling and knees ready to give out -

The memory was ripped from his grasp and Rhaast was slammed back into his prison. Kayn's eyes were open and the boy grabbed his hilt with a seething look of hatred. "Do not fucking _dare_ do that again."

**"What was that?"** Rhaast found himself asking, not deterred by Kayn's outburst in the least bit. He liked arguing with Kayn when the human was riled up, so a little anger was nothing. He was curious and the sensations of the memory still tickled at his thoughts.

"A distant memory," Kayn dismissed, anger replaced with a lack of energy belying the previous outburst. His eyes shifted to the canopy above them, meditation forgotten. Rhaast felt whiplash at how quick Kayn's mood changed, but allowed Kayn the moment of vulnerability; maybe the Darkin would benefit from indulging in this somber mood.

Rhaast recalled the fear that tore through his chest from the memory and the weight of the weapon in his hands. Maybe...

**"The battle at Epool,"** he breathed, remembering an older memory - one that he had seen in Kayn's nightmare a few days after they had met. Kayn had been a child soldier from Noxus and was sent off to die in a pointless, unwinnable battle. He could still remember the blood, the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the sweat pouring down his back; the sickle in his small hands and staring down Zed, a man that stood at twice his height, and holding the intention to kill. **"You were meant to die there."**

Kayn clenched his hands into fists and narrowed his eyes at a crow perched on a tree branch above him. "My first day in battle was expected to be my last," he chuckled mirthlessly, anger over the ordeal aged and buried. "If Zed hadn't found me, you would probably still be wrapped up in anti-magic coverings and shoved into the deepest and darkest dungeon in Noxus."

Rhaast laughed at that. **"What goddess of fortune do I have to thank for our partnership?"**

Silence hung between them, Rhaast half-expecting a response to his sarcastic remark. Kayn continued to stare at the canopy above them, watching birds fly by and nest in the trees, and the Darkin could only wonder what was so intriguing about flying mammals and wood. Rhaast pushed through their bond and gave the boy the mental equivalent of a poke, causing Kayn to shift his gaze to the scythe.

Rhaast's voice held no conviction. **"You were meditating before,"** he stated bluntly, **"Why were you thinking about Epool?"**

Kayn opened his mouth but shut it a moment later. It took a few seconds for him to find his voice. "... Today is the anniversary of the battle."

Rhaast did not see Kayn as the kind of human to get hung up over something like the anniversary of a day. The Darkin overestimated his wielder once again. However, it didn't seem like Kayn was going to do any hunting today so Rhaast figured he could indulge in this reminiscing.

Another memory seeped through their bond and Rhaast was sure that it had been on purpose. He was curled up on himself, laying on a cold dirt floor with his chin pressed to his chest to keep warm. His arms were covered in dirt and his thin tunic was ripped in places. Fear over the upcoming battle ran through his veins and a silent wish replayed in his thoughts, one that he would live and survive. Rhaast couldn't shake the feeling that it was a special day, and it wasn't just because of the battle. That day was something important to Kayn as a child.

**"Today is also your birthday, isn't it?"** Rhaast asked, finally putting the pieces together. The concept of what humans called a "birthday" was foreign to Rhaast, but he could figure that the day is supposed to be a happy occasion, a celebration of the person. Sharing the day with the day you were sent to die would be traumatizing and ruin any further celebrations, the Darkin mused.

"And what a happy anniversary it shares," Kayn smiled, but it failed to reach his eyes. Somewhere deep down, Rhaast felt a shred of pity, but he pushed it down as soon as it surfaced. Kayn was a vessel, not a friend.

**"Why don't we celebrate by going on a killing spree?"** Rhaast offered, his best attempt at consolation.

Kayn bristled, scowling at the suggestion. "I would rather we not."

Rhaast was miffed, his idea pushed to the side, but he pushed on regardless. **"Fine, your loss then. Any other ideas?"** He mentally goaded Kayn to pick him up and the human reached for his hilt. **"Anything would be better than sitting around and watching you meditate."**

"It's to sharpen my mind," he rebutted in his defense as he picked up the scythe, offended by Rhaast's complete ignorance when it came to the importance of meditation. "Especially on a day such as today."

Rhaast hummed in response, taking note of the way Kayn's knuckles burned white and how tight his fingers gripped around his hilt. Kayn was more human that he liked to admit, but Rhaast would give him the break for today. As long as Kayn got them out of this mundane forest, the Darkin would put the show of humanity aside and cut his losses.

**"Where are we going, anyways?"** He asked conversationally, eye staring up at Kayn expectantly.

"... A quick kill." Kayn stated, tapping into his shadow magic and slipping inside the bark of a tree. Rhaast perked up at the mention of killing.

**"I thought you didn't feel like killing today?"**

Kayn smirked, grip on Rhaast adjusting into a fighting stance. "I can't get rusty now."

Rhaast barked a laugh. **"Humans are such interesting creatures."**

In one quick slice, Kayn cut down a slender man dressed in dark colors and armed to the teeth with daggers and knives. From the looks of it, a Noxian assassin sent to kill him.

**"Noxus gave you one last birthday present, how thoughtful."**

Kayn slid out of the shadows and began to rummage through the man's bag and cloak for any further information. He stole what looked to be a vial of Zaunite poison and one of the nicer looking daggers to keep on hand. He could never be too careful.

"Thoughtful indeed," he smirked, pocketing his spoils of war and taking the scythe back into his grasp. "I'm so humbled that they would remember."

**"Even I remembered!" **Rhaast laughed, feeling rejuvenated by the blood on his blade. He could definitely go for more, but he would take what he could get.

"Oh, shut up," Kayn chided, but he was laughing too. For being an egotistical shadow ninja and a megalomaniac demonic scythe, they made an odd pair.

After a long beat of silence, Rhaast shifted his gaze away and spoke. **"... Happy birthday, by the way."**

Kayn nearly did a double take but was able to push back the reflex with a well-practiced mask of indifference. "Thank you... I guess."

Kayn's grip faltered when Rhaast's hilt burned beneath his fingers. **"I try to be nice for once, I would appreciate if you could reciprocate the sentiment."**

"Fine, fine," Kayn huffed, "_thank you so much for thinking of me_, _what would I do without our friendship and_ \- ah ow stop doing that!"

Rhaast had heated up again with rage, burning Kayn's hands and causing him to nearly drop the scythe. **"I'm never being nice to you again, you asshole."**

Kayn chuckled, holding Rhaast so that they were making eye contact. "I wouldn't have it any other way."


End file.
